Austria - Information Guidance

Company Type	Time to Incorporate	Cost
GmbH	2 weeks	£4600

Austrian law knows certain strong formal requirements relative to the foundation of a GmbH and the change of the articles of association, especially the application for registration needs to be signed by the managing directors of the GmbH personally, in front of a notary, moreover, a specimen sheet needs to be signed by the managing director personally, also in front of a notary; if the documents are signed in UK or certain other foreign countries, also an Apostille is required for these signatures.

For the other steps which are required and which are to be taken in Austria (compiling of the notarial deed on the articles of association, compiling of a notarial protocol on the change of the articles of association, application to the commercial register regarding the change of the articles of association), we might prepare respective special powers of attorney, which need to be - again - signed before a notary; moreover, again an Apostille might be required.

The share capital needs to be paid in into an Austrian bank account, dedicated to the GmbH; accordingly, further costs may arise from opening the bank account (note that the bank has to issue also a certificate that the share capital was paid in which certificate needs to be presented to the commercial register).

What duties are levied on company formation?

All duties, taxes and professional fees are included in our package and we pay the following, amongst others:

• A capital transfer tax (Gesellschaftssteuer) equivalent to 1% of the share capital (Stammkapital) must be paid for setting-up the GmbH.
• The commercial court charges a fee when entering the new GmbH in the business register.
• Production of the notarial deed (Notariatsakt) and publication of the GmbH registration.
• Costs associated with the registration of a company include a corporate tax, court expenses, incorporation fees, an announcement in the official Austrian newspaper Wiener Zeitung, and the fees of an attorney and notary public.

Company formation process

The company becomes a legal entity when it is formally entered in the business register (Firmenbuch) kept by the local commercial court (Handelsgericht) and the company statutes need to be signed before a notary. Austrian law permits signing by proxy, if the proxy holds a written special power of attorney (Spezialvollmacht).

The statutes must contain:

• The corporate name and registered office of the company
• The objects of the business
• The amount of share capital (Stammkapital) and share interests (Stammeinlagen) of the shareholders

Austrian companies must have their registered office in Austria.

Main Features of Austrian GmbH 

• An Austrian company is legally exempt from dividends tax received from a foreign subsidiary. Austria levies no withholding tax on dividends paid to the foreign parent.   
• As a member of the European Union (EU), Austria is governed by the provisions of the EU's Parent-Subsidiary directive. Thus, an Austrian holding company which holds at least 25% of the shares of an EU subsidiary can receive dividends from the subsidiary free of withholding tax.    
• An Austrian company can access a large network of double taxation treaties Austria has signed with major trading nations around the world.    
• A minimum of one director and one shareholder is required for Austria company formation. The shareholder and director can be the same person, and need not be resident in Austria. Corporate shareholders are permitted with Austria company formation.    
• It is easy to open global corporate bank accounts to support your Austrian company formation.    
• Austria is regarded as one the world’s most competitive economy. It has excellent business advantages including its economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency and infrastructure.
• A GmbH pays corporate profits tax of 25% on all income. In addition financial statements must be submitted to the Austrian Chamber of Commerce. Formacompany will assist our clients efficiently and effectively to complete this annual statutory obligation.    
• A Austrian company formation requires a minimum share capital of €35,000, of which at least half, €17,500, must be paid up in cash.    
• A register containing directors and shareholders details is available for public viewing.